The use of “demur” also invokes religious themes about the “danger” of doubt. The most important component of a Christian’s belief system is their faith in God and Christian theology. Doubt is seen as the ultimate sin. Given Dickinson’s strict Christian community, the claim that “demuring” from the majority suggests that the doubt or dissention she imagines here is partially religious.
Dickinson grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts, a conservative Christian small-town. Her father was domineering which was particularly damaging to the rebellious thinking of the young poet. Naturally introverted and shy, Dickinson was seen as a pariah by many people in her community. Thus, the idea that “insanity” was simply the majority’s perception of non-conformity could be seen as coming from this biographical context.
